University of Fashion Blog

Where Science Meets Design

In fashion, trends come and go. With each new season, decades past resurface and are reinterpreted. For Fall/Winter 2015, the 70s were back in full force on the runway. So, as we look to the future, how can we innovate in fashion? Is it possible to truly create something brand new – something no one has ever seen before? If silhouettes and proportions have been exhausted, what is left to change the face of fashion as we know it? The answer lies in technological advancements.

At the most recent TED Talks, Joseph DeSimone describes the future of 3D printing. Watch the following video and just imagine the implications for the fashion industry. If it will be possible for doctors to create a splint on the spot made specifically to fit a patient’s arm, just imagine designing a garment that can be “printed” to fit a client’s specific measurements.

New fabrications and processes to create these fabrications are where we, as designers, have an opportunity to make a new mark. As technology advances, so does our capability to truly create something new. Our most recently launched video focuses on high tech fabrics. Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake forged natural alliances between the textile industry and high fashion designers, which laid the groundwork for technological advances between designers and scientists or technologists. In our newest video, we discuss the difference between Smart Textiles and Technical Textiles. You will learn their functions, their performance characteristics and how designers are using these materials to better our lives and that of the planet.

Give yourself the following pretest on Technical Textiles – how many of these terms can you correctly match to their application?

Agrotech A. Personal and property protection

Buildtech B. Products in the home

Clothtech C. Transportation

Geotech D. Sports and leisure

Hometech E. Buildings and construction

Indutech F. Filtration and other industrial products

Medtech H. Packing and storage

Mobiltech I. Functional components of shoes and clothing

Oekotech J. Environmental protection

Packtech K. Hygiene and medical

Protech L. Agriculture and its application

Sporttech M. Geotextiles and civil engineering

If the above terms were foreign to you, yet you are eager to know about the latest and greatest in technological advancements in textiles, our newest video is for you. For answers to the above quiz and much, much more, watch High-Tech Textiles today.

Kara Laricks is a regular contributor to the University of Fashion. She’s also a New York based women's wear and accessories designer. As the first winner of NBC's Fashion Star, Kara has designed collections for H&M, Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue. Her masculine meets feminine line, Kara Laricks, debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2012 and her S/S 2013 collection sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue. Kara's designs have been featured on the Today Show and HBO's True Blood as well as covered in Women's Wear Daily and on Style.com. Kara holds Master's degrees in both Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas and in Fashion Design from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. An educator turned designer, Kara is dedicated to supporting emerging designers and inspiring others to follow where dreams lead.